


Full Sail

by mustachio



Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: Connor's Daughter, Gen, Papa!Connor, headcanon fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-08
Updated: 2013-11-08
Packaged: 2017-12-31 21:31:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1036608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mustachio/pseuds/mustachio
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Superstition says women only bring bad luck on a ship, but Connor would have to disagree.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Full Sail

**Author's Note:**

> Also posted on my [tumblr](http://clipperwilkinson.tumblr.com/post/66377443698/full-sail).

It used to be that Connor used to wish for storms and enemy ships to cross his path when he sailed. He dreaded the days when it was all clear skies and calm waters and longed for the excitement of battle, whether it happened to be a battle with man or nature. But that was when he was much younger, when he didn’t have a lifetime of battles under his belt and carved into his skin. He can appreciate the calm days now; can take the time to relax when the time presents itself.

He leans forward ever so slightly, letting the wheel hold some of his weight so that his feet don’t have to, and closes his eyes, resting his eyes while the waters allowed it. The soft rock of the Aquila as it sailed and the singing voices of his crew were relaxing, too relaxing, almost, and he soon finds himself drifting off where he stands. He doesn’t sleep enough, this he knows this. And fortunately for him, someone else seems to know that he can’t make up for his lack of sleep while he’s in the role of captain of the Aquila.

There’s a soft tugging at the leg of his trousers, rousing him from his almost-nap, and he looks over to where Mr. Faulkner should be, as though he would really be trying to get Connor’s attention that way. The older man is not in his usual spot next to him. He’s taken the opportunity the good weather and lack of enemies has given them to move about the ship, to make sure everyone is doing their jobs, to ensure that not one thing is out of place. He looks down, sees a mass of curly, dark hair sitting by his feet, tugging at his pants.

“Keira, what are you doing? I thought you were taking a nap.”

Keira shrugs, looking up at him, pushing some of the hair that had fallen into her eyes out of the way. She’s got a smile on her face that brings the now vague memory of his mother to mind and a soft pang of sadness runs through his heart as he looks at his daughter.

“’m not tired anymore.”

And one look at the little girl is all he needs to see she’s telling the truth. Her eyes are bright and wide, unlike his tired and drooping ones, and she’s fidgeting, something she never does out of nervousness and always does out of an excess of energy.

Connor sighs, frustration and maybe something that feels too much like annoyance bubbling up. He’d hoped that she would sleep for at least an hour, maybe even a few more, but it’s only been half of one since he initially tucked her in and he isn’t sure he has the energy to entertain a six year old. Thankfully, his sigh goes unnoticed, Keira’s attention now on the doll she’s taken to carrying around everywhere. Ellen had it made in the likeness of his wife and after a week of sailing, separating Keira from the closest thing she has to her mother on this ship has become nearly impossible.

Seeing her with it is endearing, though it makes his heart hurt, the separation from the other half of his family taking its toll on him, as well. He’d wanted his wife to come with them. There was little to no danger on this mission, but they’d both decided that at two years old their son would not do well on a ship for so long and it would be best if at least one of them stayed behind with him.

“Why don’t you play with your doll in the cabin?” He bends down to pick her up, giving her a small smile when she wraps her arms around his neck and kisses his cheek.

“I don’t want to play!” She shakes her head, pouts, but doesn’t elaborate on what exactly it is that she wants to do immediately. For a moment she just rests her head on his shoulder and he begins to think that maybe she is more tired than she let on, but then she’s reaching up and snatching the hat from his head and putting it on her own. Connor has to readjust the way he’s holding her to avoid getting poked in the eye by his own hat. “I don’t wanna play with my doll, I wanna steer the ship! I wanna be captain! Captain Keira! Captain Keira!”

Not laughing at her enthusiasm proves to be a harder challenge than he’d been expecting and when a chuckle escapes his lips she sticks her tongue out at him and pushes on his chest – an indication that she wants to be let down.

Once she’s back on her feet she runs over to a nearby box, one that’s taller than she is and attempts to drag it across the floor with little success.

“What are you doing, Keira?”

“I wanna be captain!”

The hat falls into her eyes while she attempts to move the box, still not managing to get it more than a few quarter inches from where it originally sat. Connor smiles again, but refrains from laughing at her this time and goes over to help. Keira pouts when Connor lifts the box with ease, but doesn’t protest his help. Even a stubborn six year old knows when to take the help that’s offered.

“Where do you want this?”

“There!”

She points in the direction of the wheel, to the area right in front of it; the captain’s spot. As soon as he sets the box down, Keira is climbing on top of it, grabbing the Aquila’s wheel, and adopting a more serious expression. To her credit, she does not start spinning the wheel wildly, and instead does her best to keep it steady. It doesn’t seem to be giving her much trouble, the lack of natural obstacles helping her a great deal.

He watches for a few moments, making sure she’s not about to do anything horribly wrong, and decides to let her continue with this for a little while longer. Maybe if she doesn’t get bored of this in a matter of seconds, he’ll try to actually teach her to sail. Never too early for someone to learn, right? He slips his jacket off, putting it on her instead to help her look the part of captain. It completely drowns her out, but she seems happy in it so he doesn’t take it back.

From her position on the box, Keira can probably barely see above the wheel, but some of the crew members seem to see her just fine and point out their tiny new captain to the ones who don’t immediately notice until quite a few people are watching.

“Give them an order, Keira.” As if on cue, the wind begins to pick up, and Connor is certain he’ll have to take over again soon, but not yet. He’ll let her have her fun before taking responsibility. “Tell them to go to full sail.”

Keira nods, taking a few deep breaths before she calls out the instruction.

“I want full sail!”

The voice of a six year old girl is not a loud one and it’s drowned out even more by the wind, but a few men still seem to hear her, and spring into action.

“You heard her men, full sail! Unfurl everything!”

Connor looks over at Keira, who nods in approval at her father taking up the position of quartermaster while she’s at the helm. Her smile is quite possibly the biggest and brightest he’s ever seen her give. If he wanted to, he couldn’t stop his own smile from spreading across his face. There’s a swell of pride in his heart and he wants to burn this sight into his memory forever. What could be better? What could possibly make him happier than seeing his daughter get so excited and happy about sailing?

It takes one glance and nod from Mr. Faulkner to know that without even looking, they’d managed to find the Aquila’s next captain.


End file.
